Leominster volleyball team enjoying best start in program history

LEOMINSTER -- Blanketing the walls in the gymnasium at Leominster High School are myriad banners.

Reminders of Central Mass. championships, state titles, individual greatness. They span every sport.

All except boys' volleyball.

That's something the Blue Devils hope to change very soon.

A lofty goal, for sure, but one that suddenly seems at least fathomable. Leominster is off to its best start ever and showing no signs of slowing down, just one year after missing what would have been the second postseason berth in program history.

"I think we have the right mix of offense and defense. We have a veteran team, with 11 out of the 15 guys being seniors," Leominster head coach Arvid Tenney said prior to Thursday's practice at the high school.

Leominster senior Princely Tamfu (21) celebrates a 3-0 win over Athol on March 30 at Leominster High School. After missing the playoffs by a single game last season, the Blue Devils are undefeated at 6-0 this spring. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / JEFF PORTER

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"This team has really jelled and (they know) they can trust each other on the court."

Leominster made its postseason debut two years ago at 10-8 and looked primed to return last season, but a thumb injury to Kevin Barbara the day after tryouts left the Blue Devils scrambling. The team had designed its offense around the powerful middle hitter and had to change on the fly.

By the time the Blue Devils had adjusted, it was too late. They fell one victory shy of qualifying.

Now, LHS is 6-0, just three wins away from punching its postseason ticket, which surprises few in blue and white.

"I had a good indication of what we'd have at the end of last year. We were a little snakebitten, with a couple captains getting hurt," Tenney said.

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"We had some talent, but we were missing a couple big weapons. We've got everyone back now and the chemistry is unbelievable."

Senior Kevin Nguyen says getting together with teammates in the offseason made a huge difference in how the Blue Devils have performed this season. Now, Leominster isn't only healthy, it's one cohesive unit on the floor.

"We all played together last season, but the chemistry wasn't there," Nguyen said. "This year it's there, and with (Barbara) back it's a lot different. We're all a big family, no matter what happens out there."

Having experienced, skilled players has made a difference. Whether it's the net game of Barbara, the setting of Noah Thao or the serving of Isaac Annan, the Blue Devils are trying to elevate their games to the level of the team's top players, giving their all on the court.

"This team has so much skill and talent that you want to go out and be the best you can be for everyone," senior Princely Tamfu said. "You know every guy on the team has your back if something goes wrong. If you mess up in a game, someone's covering for you and supporting you."

Nguyen says one of the team's major problems last season was play from the service line, but it's something Leominster has drastically improved. Now, according to their coach, serving is one of the Blue Devils' strengths.

"From the bottom to the top of the lineup, they can all serve," Tenney said. "We can really run the score up on teams that aren't ready for some elite-level services. It's something we've preached for years: We don't want to give up free points from serving."

Tenney hopes the team's success helps build a culture of winning in the sport at LHS and draws more athletes to the game.

"The program has come a long way in the eight years I've been coaching," Tenney said. "It's sunshine and rainbows around here. These kids are easy to love. They work hard and sacrifice for each other and I couldn't stop them from playing volleyball. They're addicted to it."

To the players already in the program, the change has been noticeable. Success leads to happiness.

"There's a lot of laughing and having fun," Tamfu said. "There's a lot of smiles, unless we're losing by a lot. Luckily, that hasn't happened much this season. It's been a lot of fun."

And certainly isn't slowing down. The goal of making the postseason is well within reach, and while the red-hot Blue Devils aren't taking anything for granted, they're certainly not afraid to say they're enjoying the ride.

"The confidence level is pretty high. We're not looking too far ahead, but at 6-0 we know we're playing pretty well," Nguyen said. "We go out every night and play hard. We want to get a good lead so we can get everyone in there. We're having a great time winning games."

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